Pell’s first appearance in Melbourne last July played host to an international media contingent of more than 100 reporters, court artists, television crews and photographers who’d gathered at the steps of the court.

The first two weeks of this month’s committal are expected to hear solely from the accusers in a closed court. The remaining two weeks will be dedicated to the cross-examination of at least 40 other witnesses.

‘Support dog’ to be supplied

Some law experts and advocates say they are concerned the public won’t get full transparency when evidence is given in the closed court. They also fear the experience will likely be “distressing” for the complainants as their testimony is tested by the 76-year-old’s defense team.

On Monday Magistrate Belinda Wallington granted permission for accusers to have access to support including from a friend or family member, or a dog while giving evidence.

A “support dog” known as Coop is part of a new initiative in Melbourne to help vulnerable or traumatized witnesses give evidence in court, Prosecutor Mark Gibson said.

Richter said he would apply for assistance for Pell, who had a support person at previous hearings.

Professor Jeremy Gans, who teaches on all aspects of the criminal justice system at Melbourne University, told CNN there are services in place to help complainants try to prepare to be cross examined, but it’s not an easy process.

“The experience is likely to be very distressing,” he said. “But the whole process of bringing a complaint is distressing. This is just one part of that.”

He said he doesn’t try to come to terms with the possible suffering of those he questions in court.

“I put it out of my mind, you say to yourself: ‘I’m a professional,'” Richter told The Age newspaper. “People are hurt no matter what happens. If someone is wrongly convicted, or given a disproportionately heavy sentence, all you have done is multiply the number of victims.”

Concerns for transparency

Once the committal is over, the magistrate will decide if there is enough evidence to go to trial in a higher court.

“A committal hearing has a similar purpose to a Grand Jury hearing in the US,” Gans explained. “It’s a way to test whether there is enough evidence to go ahead with a serious trial. The major difference is that a committal hearing is heard by a single magistrate (a legally qualified lower-ranked judge), rather than a jury.”

Ingrid Irwin, an Australian lawyer who works in the area of historic sexual abuse in Pell’s hometown of Ballarat, Victoria, says it’s a “great flaw” that in the Australian legal system, the complainants don’t have their own lawyers.

“Alleged victims do not have a lawyer during the criminal case so they are not a party to proceeding yet the case is all about them,” she told CNN. “It seems unjust that the matter is about them, and they are not represented.”

Pell’s legal team prepared for case

At several short court hearings in the past four months, Pell’s team has lodged court orders for documents and materials to help their case.

Pell’s legal team successfully won its bid to raise undisclosed materials from a victims advocacy group, the Victorian police force, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and lawyers involved in the area of historic sexual abuse, as well as from the complainants themselves.

Wallington ruled in February however, that the medical records of the complainants could not be supplied as requested, for privacy reasons.

Her decision came after the prosecution team accused Pell’s lawyers of going on a “fishing expedition” for personal medical information about the accusers, particularly in the area of mental health.

In January, a complainant in the case passed away and the prosecution requested the charge relating to him should be dropped.

The defense team argued to keep the charge in place, saying they would show the accuser prompted a “domino effect” of other alleged victims later coming forward because he was interviewed in the media.

However, at a hearing Friday, the prosecution announced the charge had been dropped.

Catholic Church under pressure

The Catholic Church was the sole target of about 20 recommendations, outlining what would amount to be a radical shakeup of centuries of tradition and orthodoxy. It included the recommendation that celibacy — compulsory for Catholic priests — should be voluntary.